NFL Announces 2019 Hall of Fame Class

While the NFL Network was showing a game of Pictionary, the NFL's website announced the Hall of Fame's Class of 2019. Your new enshrinees:

Tony Gonzalez, TE, KC/ATL
A first-ballot HOFer, Gonzalez played in 14 Pro Bowls and made six All-Pro teams. He is still second in NFL history in receptions behind only Jerry Rice.

Ed Reed, S, BAL/HOU/NYJ
A first-ballot HOFer, Reed played in nine Pro Bowls and made five All-Pro teams. He was the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year, a Super Bowl champion, and three times led the league in interceptions.

Champ Bailey, CB, WAS/DEN
A first-ballot HOFer, 12-time Pro Bowler, and three-time All-Pro. His best season might have been 2006, when he led the NFL with 10 interceptions returned for 162 yards.

Ty Law, CB, NE/NYJ/KC/DEN
A five-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, and three-time Super Bowl champion with New England. Twice led the league in interceptions.

Pat Bowlen, owner, DEN
Bowlen purchased the Broncos in 1984. Since then the team has played in seven Super Bowls, more than any team under any owner except the 10 of Robert Kraft and the Patriots.

Gil Brandt, executive, DAL
Am I the only one who thought Brandt was already in the Hall of Fame? Brandt managed the Cowboys roster for 29 years, guiding the team to five Super Bowl appearances, two championships, and 20 consecutive winning seasons. Brandt will join 15 players he acquired for the Cowboys who have already been enshrined in Canton.

Johnny Robinson, DB, DTX/KC
The lone senior finalist nominated for enshrinement this year Robinson began his career with the Dallas Texans (now known as the Kansas City Chiefs) in the AFL's inaugural season in 1960. A six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, Robins won three AFL championships, played in the first Super Bowl against Green Bay, and had an interception in Kansas City's 23-7 win over Minnesota in Super Bowl IV.

Yeah, I mean they've got to have someone other than Brady and Belichick from those first three Patriots Super Bowl teams, and Law's as good a choice as any; Seymour would also be reasonable, I suppose.

RE: Scarnecchia, every person in the HoF as a coach has done so as a head coach. Not even legendary coordinators like Buddy Ryan have made it in, so no position coach has a prayer, even a legendary one.

Richard Seymour (3/7/00s) should get in a few years down the road. Vince Wilfork (1/5/none) is possible but unlikely. Rent-a-player Junior Seau is already in, and another such player, Darrelle Revis, should be a lock.

I don’t think Rodney Harrison’s (2/2/none) chances for enshrinement are very good. He’s behind a bunch of players (Darren Woodson, Steve Atwater, John Lynch, Leroy Butler, for four), at a position not historically well liked by the HoF voters.

It's nice that Gil Brandt is still around at the age of 85 to enjoy this honor. He, Tom Landry and Tex Schramm were all with the Cowboys from their inception in 1960 right through till Jerry Jones purged them in 1989.

I don't have any issues with any of the players inducted. Glad for all of them.

I am tired of all the owners getting in. I want a new rule; no owners until they are no longer owners. Players and coaches can't get in while they're still active. I don't even remember any current commissioners getting in. Why are owners the exception? No more owners until they are no longer active owners.

I don't care for owners beung in. I try to pay no attentiin to i.t . Just only know whuhc ines are in for trivia wuestion purposes. Agree with will allen (poster here, not forner plauers) taht it is absurd rhat jerry Jones js in Hll of Fame and chuck howley is nkt

Glad to see Brandt get in, according to some of the things I read on him years ago he helped modernise a lot of scouting and systems he developed or popularised likely improved the quality of the players and play in the whole league.

I can understand both sides of argument about Owners going in or not, but if they are going to go in Bowlen seems like a reasonable choice and I hope he has enough marbles left to at least understand that he has been honoured. Seemed ridiculous to put someone like Jones in before him, especially under Bowlen's diminishing health circumstances.

Seems like quite a few first ballot inductees this year, but they all deserve it. Agree too that it is nice to see someone like Mawae get in directly and not have to wait for seniors committee.

Still think there is a case for having a big bonus class some year to break some logjams and recognise some of those passed by. Maybe 100th anniversary of the league coming up will be a good enough excuse to do that.

Peripheral but important folks (Brandt)...owners..and "D" is well represented in this class.
Whenever I look at a team, I look *first* at OC's/DC's, then QB's & go from there. People
who are asst's are super important. I include GM's as assistants. Corny but it does
take a village to succeed in NFL

The last two Hall of Fame classes have been incredible - true Hall of Famers, the best of the best. (And interestingly, no quarterbacks or running backs.) Imagine the class of 2018 lining up against the class of 2019. Moss and TO squaring off with Champ, Ty Law and Ed Reed. Gonzalez lining up opposite guys like Ray Lewis, Urlacher and Dawkins. Really nice positional mix of the greatest players of the past decade.

People have complained for years about the backlog of players for NFL Hall of Fame and over-representation of the skill positions, especially QB. But when I look at the Hall of Fame I feel like this is what it is supposed to be - the absolute best of the best. By comparison, the MLB class of 2018 was Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman, Chipper Jones, Jack Morris, Jim Thome and Alan Trammell. All very nice players but all second or third tier Hall of Famers. (2019 was a little better with Mariano Rivera but otherwise similar.) I think the NFL has it right.

Re the BBHoF, Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, and Alan Trammell are within the top 11 all time at their position by WAR and very much within elite level for their positions. Guerrero is more a second-tier guy, but very deserving.

Given the standards for relievers, Trevor Hoffman is reasonable enough.

Jack Morris, though, shouldn’t be getting in the Hall without a ticket. His adjusted numbers are about in the range of Milt Pappas and Carlos Zambrano.

The “best of the best” HoF idea is a small hall one that doesn’t match that reality in baseball or football. That ship sailed long ago when guys like Tommy McCarthy and Joe Guyon got in their respective Halls.

I’m all for a “fair hall” that reflects a reasonable standard based on what admittance practice has been.

Congratulations to all the new inductees! All the players are very deserving, including Senior Johnny Robinson. Gil Brandt is a reasonable GM type to elect. Least taken with Pat Bowlen, but at least he’s in and off the table (he’s at least better than Eddie DeBartolo and Charles Bidwill, though that’s not saying a ton).

Was surprised that it was Kevin Mawae who broke through the OL logjam, but he’s certainly deserving. Also surprised a bit that Steve Atwater leapfrogged over John Lynch, who has been a finalist several times.

Would be fine with any of the players who were finalists getting elected to varying degrees. Am on the fence with Coryell (you have to give him a lot of innovator credit), and not supportive of Flores.

Next year should be a catch-up year, with Troy Polamalu the only likely first ballot guy (Patrick Willis and Reggie Wayne will also likely get in eventually). My guess for the regular electees next year: Polamalu, James, Atwater, Boselli, and Hutchinson. Your guess is as good as mine for the Seniors. The viable Contributor options are thinning out, with Art McNally, Bob Kraft, Steve Sabol, and George Young the best choices, and it would be nice to have someone like McNally or Kraft on deck as they’re still alive.

Flores has a minimal advantage over Dungy, who has a minimal advantage over Coryell.

Dungy took a non-winning franchise (Bucs) and another inconsistent one (Colts) and turned them into winners, getting average postseason performance (9-10) though had twice as many postseason games as the other two. Coryell took two dysfunctional franchises (Cards, Chargers) and turned them around, though he bombed in the postseason (3-6). Flores took over a successful team (Raiders) but bombed when he went to Seattle, did well in the postseason (8-3).

Dungy has some advantage over the other two.

Dungy gets innovator credit for helping create the Tampa-2 defense. Coryell gets innovator credit for Air Coryell. Flores has no such credit that I know of.

Dungy and Coryell have similar advantage over Flores.

Sum total, Dungy has a stronger case than the other two, best I can see.

Let's unpack that a little. Granted that Gruden won the Super Bowl with Dungy's players, is there any way you would argue that Gruden was a better coach overall than Dungy? I mean, Gruden couldn't even make the Super Bowl with the Raiders and then Bill Callahan did it with the same team.

Gruden had a run with the Raiders that was roughly equivalent to what Dungy did with the Bucs. Then Dungy was even better with the Colts, winning 11+ games every year with 1 SB win. Gruden won 1 SB with the Bucs and then the team fell apart.

I don't think it's absurd to argue that Dungy could also have won the SB with the Bucs if he'd stayed. Unless you somehow think it was Gruden, known to be a offensive coach, who somehow took the Bucs defense to the next level.

Not arguing that Gruden is a better coach. Just don't think Dungy's resume is hall of fame worthy on its own merit. And Dungy never did win a Super Bowl with his TB team so not going to assume he would have.